Collector ring mount



Sept. 2, 1952 J. R. MOOREHEAD ETAL COLLECTOR RING MOUNT Filed Sept. 27, 1946 By RICHARD S. REINHOLD 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTORS JAMES R. MOOREHE AD ATTORNEYS Sept. 2, 1952 Filed Sept. 27, 1946 J. R. MOOREHEAD ET AL COLLECTOR RING MOUNT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTORS JAMES R. MOOREHEAD By RICHARD s. REINHOLD Patented Sept. 2, 1952 UNITED, "STATES PATENT OFFICE Reinhold, Seattle, Wash, assignors to Boeing, I

iAirplane G/ompany, a corporation of Delaware Application September 2 1:9 'Claims. (Cl. Gil-:29)

- The-presentinvention relates t acollector rings, more particularly exhaustcollector rings-infuse with'ra dial engines ,uponairplanes.

-Exhaust collector rings which are mounted 7, 1946, Serial No.699;834

engine whereon it 'is'mounted, withini' liniits, and thereby stresses are further reducedandloads a-relessened, and the weight over+al1 may-ibe decreased.

upon the engine mount ring do not'vib'ra'te, 5 As has been mentioned, the former rigid especially 'torsionally," in consonanc'e with the mounts of the exhaust collector ringpsupported engine, independently "and somewhat resiliently the 'ringby, means o-f' 'theinlet connectionszfrom mountedonthat samemount ring, to1which eneach cylinder to the -'ring.- Notwithstanding gine the collecto-rringis connected; Joints havwelded reinforcements at the juncture-of the ing material :flexibility are necessarily employed inlets to the ring, there still existedflocalized betweeneach engine' cylin'der and-the ncllector stresses of very considerable amount, -A' further 'a'n /or between eachsegment of 'the'colobject of the present invention is -itozprovide Fa 'lector ringand those adjoining'in such-installamount for such -a"c'ollecto'r ring from a radial tions. In other installations it'wa's "considered engine,- whic'h-b'etter distributes' -thesernounting preferable tomounttherigid' collectorring"rigidforces, which-in-turn"1essens the loadand-fperly upon the engine,"toioscillate"torsionally thereniit's elimination o'f weight. with,but this rigid'r'nountingpioduc'es high loads The present invention alSo toacertaim degree, in theexhaustcollector'ring and 'itS mO11IltS,'llp divorces the mass-of the cellector'r ing from the on its motion with the enginewith respectto large mass=cf the engine, *an'demploys thecolthe engines mount, and thedeSignermusthor- 0 lector ring-as a torsion dampener upon the:tormall'y 'assume'a loadfactor oi-100 in designing sional movementsof theengine, -andithereby the such. collector'ringsandtheir'mounts. *Because loads upon the enginemounts maybeoofleof such loads andsuchde'signfactors, "the (301- spondingly redu'c'ed,-and" this -is-.-a-further cbject lec'tor rings as heretofore thus-n ounted haVe of-the invention. I r l been essentially stronglytreinforced; particularly Sectionaleiih-austcollector rings-aredesirable, w h local reinforcements at-attaching pfJints, sincethey'a'iiordthe greatest facilityiorservicand because 'ofithese 'and zofthe.expectcdihigh ingthe engine. However, ithas b'een:considered loading,- the over-all weight'of thecollector'ring most necessary, if the cellector ring is to be and; itsmounting has-becomeunreasonably high. formed in -sections,-that'-eaeh section be'rigidIy 'Ihepresent inventiondepartsfrornprior praefioined'to its individual cylinder, but tb be jcined "tice, and in particular .departsrro n the rigid only flexibly "to adjoining secticins. With-singleniounting discussed, in ithat" while the" collector row engines this was feasible, but with theadvent ring is supported uponand TIOIl'l'JiEhe engine, and of multi-rowengines so-many-complicationsdeoscillates therewith, it 'is;substantial 1yrigi'd .as velop'as tomake it" wholly impracticable; =It-is a whole, but is so mountedthat it'may have'its a further object of the present invention toip own movement as a whole, particularly 'torsiona'lvide such: a 'collecto-r-ringanda incunt therefor, 1y, and "in one, other direction, Withrelation to adapted to 'multirow engines thcughznotfgconthe engine through the medlumnf1the"'flexible fined thereto, which permits a sectional mountings by which itiisgsupported from the which is inherently substantiahy' igid; to be engine, and with somej fiexibilitylin the small 40 mounted formovementwith,' butjalsoiwith rela stacks individual to" thel'respective' enginefcylintion to the engine, a'nd'iind'e it'is janjassociate'd ders. By so doin'gthe loads -arein'arhedly' reobject to arrangeithe radialengine;thegsectional duced, with the resultthattitsiown.weightmay h'a-ust collector Trina, fandtlzie'mountiforjthe be, decreased, and this further 1 reduces the e i cha Way'that the cooperative action stresses, and permits furtherlightening of the 5 of the.sectionslof.the exhaustcollecter'ringfjserves structure, and thisconstitutes one dfntfig imar to damp the movementsofl'theicollec tcrz r11 2 with objects ofthe invention, sotolessenthe-lcads respecttbf -j v and to lighten the structure. Likewiseit;is.an"objeeticf thepriesent'invention Ih resent invention produces a -fur.the1 ;adto providesuchniountirig..meahs, mechanically vantage, by reason of the flexibility ofwthe rings 550 n ed asto afford easeroffassenibly..ahd mount, upon thermal expansioncf'the mgand disassembly, andwhichl in addition nv'illvwsecure of the -engine,-which-expansion is-at-unlike rates. [and urge. aligncdesections ilrmly ,together and According .to-thepresent inventiqn thegnounting prevent the p b i i k e a -thej n of the ring is-such thatE it-has ,acertain freedom With these objects mind',r--and others,,Q ar ofdiametralor:radia1-.expansiomrelative tc the ticula'rly such as p rt n to the morepurely mechanical details of the invention, as will appear more clearly hereafter, the invention comprises the novel combination and arrangement of the collector ring upon the engine, and of the parts of the ring relative to one another and to the engine, to the ends indicated, as well as the novel parts themselves, and subcombinations thereof, all as shown in the accompanying drawings in a typical and representative form, and as will be more fully described and claimed hereinafter.

Figure l is an end elevation, in this instance a rear view, of a radial engine and a collector ring mounted thereupon in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the collector ring, showing the manner of its mounting upon an engine cylinder, the view being taken substantially from the viewpoint indicated by the line 22 of Figure l, and Figure 3 is a view in the nature of a plan view of the mount arm shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail section at 4-4 of Figure 2, illustrating the interconnection between the mounting arm and the clamp ring at the collector ring. I

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the exhaust inlet stacks and manifold leading to, and the collector ring sections adjoining, one such section of a four-row engine. A typical radial engine is conventionally shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. This may be taken as a singlerow engine, or as the rear row of a multi-cylinder engine. It includes the crank casing 90 through which the shaft 9| protrudes, rotating about the engine's axis A, and the several radially disposed cylinders 9 fixed upon and usually individually separable from the crank case 90, each of which cylinders has a cylinder head 92 and a bracket 93 adjacent to or carried by its rocker boxes. Other nonpertinent details of the engine have been omitted. Each aligned cylinder of a fourrow engine is provided with an exhaust outlet port, to which is connected the outlet stacks 8, 8|, 8'2, and 83 (see Fig. 5), leading to or forming part of an inlet manifold leading to a connection to the exhaust collector ring. Normally there would be provided flexible or slip joints 84, 85, or 86 in these individual exhaust stacks or between manifold sections, in a manner which is known, or in any suitable manner. The purpose of this is to permit relative movement of the exhaust collector ring and the engine in manners and directions such as will shortly be clear.

The exhaust collector ring, designated l as a whole, is formed of a plurality of sections, such as H, I2, l3, and 14. While one section may serve more than one cylinder, or may be connected to a manifold serving several aligned cylinders in different rows, each section is preferably individual to and connected by an exhaust stack 8 to one particular cylinder 9, or by stacks 8, BI, 82, and 83 to one row of aligned cylinders. These several circularly arranged sections are normally of progressively increasing diameter angularly from the most distant cylinder to the cylinder nearest the manifold connection at l5, or other outlet from the exhaust collector ring. The exhaust collector ring shown is arranged in a completely closed circle, but the principles of the invention would be applicable with equal facility to an exhaust collector ring which extends substantially but not completely about the engine, should that construction be considered desirable.

: together.

Each such section is aligned with an adjoining section for passage of gas from one to the other. To retain the sections in such alignment, and for another purpose which will shortly appear, it is preferred that clamping rings be provided, made up of the two halves 2 and 20 secured together, as by bolts 2| at the opposite sides. Thus theclamping rings 2, 2D completely encircle the abutting endsof adjoining or aligned sections, and these rings preferably constitute the sole support of the collector ring from the engine, through mounting means which will shortly be described. Moreover, these clamping rings not only span the joint between two aligned sections, but serve also to urge them together. The clamping ring is channeled, as indicated at 22, and each collector ring section has its end circumferentially beaded, as indicated at IS, the whole being so organized and arranged that when the clamping ring 2, 20 is constricted about the adjoining ends of the sections, the two beads l6 are received within the one channel 2'2, and by the latter are urged endwise toward one another, to press the ends of the aligned sections close The mount for the collector ring includes an inclined arm 3, which has a web of some considerable depth, but which is. relatively thin so that it has some'transverse flexibility; compare Figures 2 and 3. At one end, as indicated at 30, it is forked to straddle a lug 93 adjacent the engine cylinders rocker box, whereby, through a pivot bolt 3! or the like, the arm 3 may have pivotal movement in a radial plane through the axis of the engine, or, in other words, the arm 3 may swing radially inwardly toward or outwardly away from the engine's axis A. Generally speaking, each such arm extends lengthwise of the engines axis, and may, under some conditions, be substantially parallel thereto.

While the pivotal connection between the forked end 38 and the engine cylinder constrains the arm to movement in a radial plane, and any movement of the arm transversely of its arc of swing must result from its flexure, it is preferred that the interconnection between its outer or swinging end and the collector ring (OIYIHOIB specifically, the individual clamping rings) be such as will permit relative movement about at least two axes. One such axis is generally radial from the engines axis, so that in eifect the movement is rotational in a tangential plane, and the other such axis is 'a transverse tangential axis. It is understood that the above refers to each individual mount, and that these mounts are spaced angularly about the engines axis A, preferably one such mount being provided for each cylinder and for the two collector ring sections which abut in this vicinity. v

The type of connection chosen and illustrated herein is a ball and socket joint, wherein the ball 4 is connected by a short shank 40 and saddle M to the clamping ring orthe half 2 thereof, to the latter of which the saddle 4|v is welded or otherwise permanently secured. The socket 34 is formed in the outer end of the arm 3, and closely embraces the ball 4, except the ball is, truncated diametrically opposite the shank 40; see Figure 4. I

For convenience of assembly and disassembly it is preferred that the ball 4 be additionally truncated, or flattened, as may be seen in Figure 3, by slicing oif zones, at two opposite sides, in planes at right angles to its truncated end referred to above to leave only its intervening portion, with spherical surfaces fitting the socket 34,

no'rmal position, the ball may not be Withdrawn is to locate the ball '4 correct y el'ati fa iiarlh v l a eiiiiflfibe 3 i isdtr n r ly'i the normal positionof these-flattenedballahd jbaiana flat surfaces as 'itfrest's within the socl{et-,;whereby,by turning'the ball to this trails 5 I ver se position, it maybe inserted intc "or drawn from the socket 34 through this transve'rs' slot as. some en aged and "turned wa fr oin, the socket, and so it constitutes a satisfactory support, yet is readilydisengage'ablefiwhen required.

The clamping ringslni t fie fefftlfreie for som "rotation about the iz s seeeana1 periphery of the collectorrin'g" :l, but'prefiably e rner frm'gam'is located anemia in. fix' ej' o s ion,

fieedge of the so cliet, .buth'asadeciu ateji of movement in all directions. To effe socket, so that its shank 4.0 does in result the clamping ma have 'iu'gs ears .2; r ce le in an e ats ll l'defl e.- ternally of the collector ring sections, at their ends.

; The interlock thus afforded, directlyffrom one irin g section, as ll, to the adjoining section, as 12, by way of the clamping ringa'ndits mgs'zs, serves to prevent twisting movement of one collector ring section relative to another, periphl ,erally of its cross-seci :ion. The collecto rings are further locked together against separation axiallypf the sections by the channel z'z sp n- ,ning the two. beads It. The coinbined result is-that the collector ringbecomes substantially unitary, though made in sections, "and relative movement of. its component sectiens', 'andwe'ar bewn e m i may ifii iei dr When the collector ring] iscold it will be of the smallest diametral extentand whenitlwarms up it will tend to expand diametrally. It will grow radiallyin all directions, The enginewill ot ex to t e s me de r e; efbreth c ollector ring I tends to g row -with respectto t e e i e ne viewedinlisu 2 the col ct rin t nds t movelupward rwith resp ta oli engine cylinder 9. Theflexible joints 84,785.;and 86 in the exhaust inlet manifolds insure that the collector ring may so move, without stress. This diametral expansive movement of the collector ring entrains outward swinging of the swinging ends of the arms 3, or, as viewed in Figure 2, this particular arm would move upwardly. Since obviously the substantially unitary collector ring will tend to maintain the initial positional relationship of its parts, this diametral expansion and resultant swinging of the arms 3 will cause each ball 4 to rock within its socket 34 about a tangential axis, that is, about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the pivot at 3|. Were it not for this freedom to rock about a tangential axis at the ball, it is clear that stresses of considerable value would be set up between each arm 3 and the collector ring. With the two pivsags-1t the severai" engine cylinld cftal movement's; one at; 31 "ajzncl'fthe' other atfthe ball, paralleltofthe pivot at 3 I, the collectorrin'g is "free to expand or "grew, ja'r'id to contract "with respect; to the engine, without setting up any appreciabl'estresses." I H p flconfsideringjnow torsional vibration of the enigine', asfthe jenginfe' vibrates or tends to rotate bodily "about it owiraxis'theinertia'of the col- 'lector'fringi s it tol'ag'withresp'ect to such 'torsionalj imoyement of the engine. The-first result is 'flexure 'in eac' oft'he arm's af, and it "is not desirable to eliminatefthi's, forthis tends to reduce thefo'r es actin'gupb'n' the engine itself, and tolpro'duee' estoring and'damping force. Byreason of'the emen ofthelenginerelw tiyefto the'ri'ng l, oryicejvers'a;each'baII tends to rotate within its socket 3'4 about a radially disjposed'a'xis. Wre'itnotffor thisper'mittedmovenleritfand werethfe arms "securedfto the collector ring -las' rigidly "inf'cons'deration of this torsional vibration as they "are so 'c'orlnect'e'd "to the enginej there would result'fsimultaneou's double flexure of the arms, and much'greater'likelihood of failure, or "necessity for' gfr'eater strength and .addedfweight; By tli'emount' described the rin "I is permitted to rotate torsionally with respect 't'o'tl'i'e engine, and to bel'rest'ored by reverse torsional movement, with only the frictional resistance within the ball socket, and "without the production of undue stresses within the mount aslbetween the collector ring.e fnd'the engine.

. 'is r s e e engine fir g r i t fii'edj bou f ts fi i e periphery, emgccne nt t'eidjatasinglepoint "of'appli'cation'. This is-true by reason of the employment of the clamping ring and the mounting of the bal .4'l1D'on the latte nrrather -than connecting, the ball directly to the collector ring itselfgor tfoany' section thereof. The assembly is such as'reduces the number of parts,

it is believedftdthe 1ninimum,"and' to a minimum nfw i h 'We claimasfour invention: 7 "lJA' generally circular exhaust collector ring for radial engines said ring havin'gfinle'tsfrom "s, a plurality of genera lyaxiauyextending moiiiitihgarms'angularly "diseased; aboutthe 'for'c'esacting radially .cf' the engines axis, connecting the swmgm eii of. acharmwith said collector ring. Y

e 7 A. eeri r r' il biila Exh s ,olictbr ring axially directed mounting arms disposed about the; engines axis, "and each pivotally; mounted upon the engine for movement substantially in a radial plane, each such arm having limited flexure transverse to its arc of swing, and means connecting the swinging end of each arm with said collector ring, and formed and arranged for limited freedom of relative movement between its ring section and its engine mount under the influence of torsionally induced forces about the engine's axis, and of forces acting radially of the engines axis.

3. Means to mount an exhaust collector ring upon a radial engine, comprising a plurality of arms spaced angularly about and extending generally in the direction of the engines axis, means for pivotally mounting one end of each arm upon the engine for swinging of its opposite end in- 7 Wardly towards and outwardly from the engines axis, each arm having limited flexibility transverse to its arc of swing, a ring attachment member carried by the collector ring adjacent the swinging end of each arm, and means interconnecting each such attachment member and the swinging end of the adjacent arm for limited free torsional movement of the collector ring relative to the arms, and for limited pivotal movement about tangential axes, due to radial expansion of the collector ring relative to the engine.

4. Means to mount an exhaust collector ring upon a radial engine, comprisinga plurality of ring attachment members carried by said collector ring at angularly spaced intervals, alike number of arms extending generally longitudinally of the engines axis, and spaced angularly thereabout to lie at one end adjacent each ring attachment member, means for pivotal securement of the other end of each arm upon the engine for swinging inwardly towards and outwardly from the engines axis, each such arm being limitedly flexible transverse to its arc of swing, means mounting each ring attachment member upon the swinging end of the adjoining arm for relative pivotal movement about each of at least two axes, one whereof is radial to the engine's axis, and the other whereof is tangentially disposed.

5. In combination with a generally circular exhaust collector ring or the like, mounting means therefor comprising a plurality of angularly spaced ring attachment members secured to said collector ring, an arm disposed adjacent each ring attachment member, the several arms extending generally longitudinally of but normally inclined with respect to the engines axis, means for pivotal securement of the corresponding end of each arm at the engine for swinging inwardly towards and outwardly from the engines axis, about a tangential pivot axis, each arm having limited flexibility transverse to its arc of swing, and a ball and socket mount joining the swinging end of each arm with the ring attachment member adjacent thereto.

6. A generally circular exhaust collector ring for radial engines, having inlets spaced angularly at intervals for connection to the several engine cylinders, a plurality of generally axially directed mounting arms disposed angularly about the engines axis, and each pivotally mounted upon the engine for movement in a generally radial plane, each such arm being relatively rigid in its plane of swing, but having limited resilient flexibility transverse to its arc of swing, under the influence of torsionally induced forces about the engines axis, applied to its outer end, and means connecting the swinging end of each arm with said collector ring, each such connecting means being formed and arranged for relative pivotal movementbetween the collector ring and each mounting arm about an axis transverse to the arc of swing, and hence parallel to the arms pivotal mount-upon the engine, under the influence of forces such as thermal expansion or contraction of th collector ring as'a whole, and likewise formed and arranged ior limited rotational movement of the collector ring bodily about individual. axes through the swinging ends of-the several arms, located generally parallel to the engines axis, as a result of torsionally-induced fiexure and reaction of the arms.

7. An exhaust collector ring as in claim 1, including at least one flexible joint in each of the severa'linlets, whereby said inletsyield to forces acting to displace the collector ring relative to the engine, and the mounting arms constitute the primary support for the collectorring.

8. An exhaust collector ring as in claim 1, wherein the collectorring is formed of a plurality e f component sections each of limited circumferential extent, end-abutted to adjoining sections to complete the collector ring, clamp rings encircling the abutted section ends at each such joint, to retain them against separation, and a ring attachment member carried by each of said clamp rings, constituting the sole means which is carried by the collector ring for connecting the swinging end of each arm with the collector ring.

9. An exhaust collector ring as in claim 5, wherein the collector ring is formed of a plurality of component sections each of limited circumferential extent, end-abutted to adjoining sections, clamp rings encircling the abutted section ends at each such joint, to retain them against separation, each clamping ring mounting one of the component elements of the corresponding ball and socket mount, for connection and primary support of the collector ring from the several arms.

JAMES R. MOOREHEAD. RICHARD S. REINHOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v Date 958,052 Williams May 17, 1910 1,077,741 Neveu Nov. 4, 1913 1,782,779 Pullman Nov. 25, 1930 1,896,095 Niven Feb. 7, 1933 2,022,982 Sikorsky Dec. 3, 1935 2,271,059 Boultcn Jan. 27, 1942 2,284,334 Mercier May 26, 1942 2,309,281 Steele Jan. 26, 1943 2,388,924 Mercier Nov. 13, 1945 2,426,423 IWOQISBY Aug. 26, 1947 

